Maryland certifies three marinas as ‘clean marinas’ for exemplary pollution reduction efforts

BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has certified three marinas as “clean marinas”, part of an effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay.

The marinas are Lighthouse Point Marina in Baltimore City; Hartge Yacht Harbor of Galesville, Anne Arundel County; and Tradewinds Marina of Middle River, Baltimore County. The certification comes after the three locations that were inspected showed that they comply with all applicable regulations and have voluntarily adopted recommended best practices.

The Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook recommends that marinas take steps to reduce pollution, such as recycling boat shrink-wrap, maintaining a fuel spill response kit, and controlling liquid waste such as oil, gas, and antifreeze for recycling.

The three locations are now part of the network of 147 certified marinas in Maryland, which represents about 30% of the marinas in the state. The designation does not automatically transfer when properties are sold, but new owners must meet with the program staff and demonstrate that they are meeting award criteria.

The new owners of the Hartge Yacht Harbor and Tradewinds Marina said they were proud of the steps they had taken to make the improvements and hope to continue to reduce their impact on the Bay.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources encourages boatyards, marinas, and yacht clubs to seek the certification. Free resources and technical assistance are available to help marinas apply.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo: Lighthouse Point Marina in Baltimore City is a certified Maryland Clean Marina; pictured are marina officials Matt Giorgi, Joel Schlossberg, and Ben Sesselman. Maryland DNR photo.